BONITA SPRINGS, Fla., — Neighbors of the Lakes of San Souci neighborhood remember the last storm season when they were left with 18 inches of flooding in their streets. One neighbor, who was kayaking just to get to and from her house, upgraded to a new car to be more prepared this year.
“This is my ticket out of here, without having to pay someone to tow my vehicle and paddle out of here,” said Laura Kaman.
Kaman bought a brand new Jeep with 37 inch tires to help prepare for the upcoming storm season.
“The way I look at it is, I’m going to prepare our family the way we need to prepare and not count on anyone else.”
The neighborhood’s Homeowner’s Association says they have been asking for help for the past eight months from the City of Bonita Springs, but explains most of the money set aside for the hurricane season has been spent on neighborhoods up north.
“For the work to be done it will have to come out of our own pocket,” said board member Jim Ungar.
Ungar explains the neighborhood could spend anywhere from $15,000 to over $100,000 to fix things like burns, elevation and power lines. After Hurricane Irma, Ungar says the neighborhood went 13 days without power.
The President of the Association says he’s been trying to work with the City since the last flooding. But says, the neighborhood often feels left behind.
“They said the burn has been breached over here and this has to be addressed,” said Bob McGrath. “This is something that’s happening everywhere. Who’s responsibility is it?”
McGrath explained part of the problem was figuring out which agency is responsible to take care of the rebuild. He says since Hurricane Season is just weeks away, it is unlikely the work will get done beforehand.
The City of Bonita Springs released this statement today:
“The City of Bonita Springs has been actively preparing for the upcoming storm season over the last several months. Although the city continues to complete projects post IRMA, the damage was extensive and there is still more work to be done. Efforts to keep you informed are ongoing.”
Fox 4 will follow up with the City on Monday to see how they will handle the possibility of flooding in Lakes of San Souci this summer.
